Charity Fraud Podcast Transcript

Welcome to the Informed Consumer, providing the latest tips and tools to
assist consumers in making informed decisions, from the Fairfax County
Consumer Affairs Branch.

Today’s topic is: Charity Fraud.

A tragic event, such as an earthquake or hurricane, often prompts an
outpouring of assistance from well-meaning residents. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation reminds consumers who receive appeals to donate
money in the aftermath of a natural disaster to apply a critical eye and
do their due diligence before responding to requests. Past
tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal
intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization
and/or good cause. Before making a donation of any kind, consumers
should adhere to certain guidelines, including the following:

Do not respond to any unsolicited incoming e-mails, or spam, by
clicking on links contained within those messages.

Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving
victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social
networking sites.

Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by using various
Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s
existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a purported
link to the site.

Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster
areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses.
Only open attachments from known senders.

Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying
on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions
are received and used for intended purposes.

Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who
solicits contributions: providing such information may compromise your
identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

If you are solicited by a charity, don’t feel rushed or pressured into
making an immediate commitment. Ask the caller or solicitor to
provide written information about the charity’s programs and finances
before you make a contribution.

You may obtain independent verification of the solicitor’s identity
before sending a contribution by contacting the Virginia Office of
Consumer Affairs at 1-800-552-9963.

Some of the major charities assisting in disaster relief efforts are:

The American Red Cross which can be reached at 1-800-HELP-NOW

The Salvation Army at 1-800-SAL-ARMY

and The United Way at 1-800-272-4630

Thanks for listening to the Informed Consumer. For more information on
this topic or if you feel that you’ve been a victim of a scam, please
contact the Consumer Affairs Branch at 703-222-8435 or visit our web site
at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer. Informed Consumer is produced by the
Fairfax County, Virginia, government.